A Chamber Opera by Matthew Schickele
MARYMERE My husband’s record proves he was a man to be feared, I lived in constant dread of his desperate nature. –Edith Sargent A Chamber Opera by Matthew Schickele In 1908 an odd, quiet man named John Sargent returned to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his new bride, Edith—an eccentric New York socialite who enjoyed sunbathing nude, sitting in trees, and playing the violin. Edith’s idyllic new life is immediately threatened as she hears rumors that John previously left town bankrupt and was suspected of murdering both his first wife and his business partner. Based on a true story, composer Matthew Schickele’s chamber opera Marymere uses the talents of classical and folk musicians to portray an unusual couple escaping to America’s last frontier, but unable to escape the past. www.matthewschickele.com www.aopopera.org/marymere MARYMERE Edith Sargent playing violin outside Marymere, ca. 1910 A chamber opera in one act, music and libretto by Matthew Schickele. Runtime ca. 80 minutes. Personnel (13): Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone, Bass Jackson’s Hole Townspeople (Townspeople written so that the instrumentalists, if desired, can cover these parts): Two male voices (Baritone, Tenor or folk voices), One female voice (Alto or folk voice) Townspeople extras as needed violin, fiddle, viola, clarinet (bass clarinet), mandolin, double bass, piano History: Composed during a Con Edison Composer Residency Flushing Town Hall, NYC, 2009 First workshop: American Opera Projects, Galapagos Art Space, NYC, 2009 Second workshop: Flushing Town Hall, NYC, 2010 Concert premiere: Jackson Hole Fire Festival, Jackson, Wyoming, 2010 (two performances) Concert presentation: Mannes School of Music, 2010 Premiere, Edith’s Suite: South Oxford Space, 2018 Rehearsing Marymere, Walk Festival Hall, Jackson Hole, Wyoming A Unique Show: Marymere juxtaposes classical and folk idioms in a natural, unpretentious manner.
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